Be Adventurous!

A Year of Living Glamorously: Be Adventurous!

Challenge: Go on an Adventure

The very word “adventure” elicits a thrill of anticipation about what lies in store for us on some trip into the unknown. And, of course, not knowing is part of the appeal.

As I have mentioned, the same routine, day after day, can dull our senses, and living glamorously involves the stimulation of all five of our senses.

Of course, an adventure doesn’t always have to entail travel to some far–flung destination. It can be as simple as an unexplored area of your own city. It really is about a new experience, and that can be found in many different forms. Think about some of the things you discover when you take a trip. You encounter different sights, of course, but also different foods, different music. You meet new people and learn about a new culture and new ideas. Step out of your five–mile radius and you will probably discover that these adventures await you right outside of your own neighborhood, just around the next corner, on any afternoon when you decide to try that market that carries Asian groceries for making dinner that night, or try that Indian restaurant’s curry buffet for lunch.

Meeting new people is one of the great pleasures in life and naturally a part of travel, but how often do you engage in stimulating conversation with people from a different cultural background than you, unless you are on a trip? And yet, that opportunity is available on a daily basis, just for the price of being interested. And by the way, being interested in the world and the people in it is the only way to be an interesting person to the world and the people in it. The world, and every corner of it, is a diverse and interesting place, and it’s the people in it that make it that way.

So the challenge this month is to make it a point to meet someone from a totally different background than you and get to know a little bit about them. Find out where they, or their family, came from originally, what their religious beliefs are, what native foods they prepare and where they shop, what local restaurants they recommend for trying some of their cuisine, what cultural experiences are going on for you to have the chance to experience some of their culture. Wow! Can you imagine actually getting to know some of the people that call your city their home, too, but from a completely different perspective? And what an adventure to see your hometown through someone else’s eyes.

Whatever your final destination, discovering and experiencing someplace new, even it’s just a little corner, is glamorously exciting. The world is a very diverse place. Let’s be explorers, look at the world from a different perspective and go on an adventure. What’s your adventure this month?

I am going on a new adventure myself next month, and I invite all of you to come cheer me on or cheer me up. I am excited to be debuting my new cabaret show “Confessions of a Glamorous Mind!” at the Virginia Samford Theatre. Please check it out on Facebook for all the information, behind the scenes photos, and more. It promises to be a very revealing show.